The great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger”. To this day, his statement holds true and is the basis for many common inspirational sayings.
In William Shakespeare’s King Lear, Lear’s second daughter suggests a similar idea and implies that suffering is a good teacher: “O, sir, to wilful men, / The injuries that they themselves procure / Must be their schoolmasters” (2.4.328-330). Base on the events that occur in the play, it is safe to say that Regan’s implication is correct. Constant torment and anguish can be an excellent teacher and a great source of knowledge if dealt with properly. Suffering is the foundation to the development of helpful characteristics and traits and can also provide bright new insights on the world and life in general. Those who tolerate harsh punishment and survive their ordeals always come out stronger and wiser than they have ever been before.
Suffering can often allow individuals to develop advantageous characteristics. These traits can prove to be very useful as people work to put an end to their miseries. Being the only legitimate son of the Earl of Gloucester, Edgar is destined for a respectable amount of wealth and power. However, his timid nature allows his half-brother to easily undermine his position and push him out of Gloucester’s favour. In order to escape capture, Edgar disguises himself as a mentally-ill beggar and says: “Poor Turlygod! Poor Tom! / That’s something yet! Edgar I nothing am” (2.3.20-21). Edgar admits that he has lost everything because of his wrongful conviction and that a mere beggar has more potential than he does. He undergoes a depressing transition from being a part of a noble family to becoming an underprivileged commoner. However, Edgar’s suffering does not go without merits. After surviving a heavy evening storm, he says:
Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear. The lamentable change is from the best; The worst returns to laughter. Welcome then, Thou unsubstantial air that I embrace! The wretch that thou hast blown unto the worst Owes nothing to thy blasts. (4.1.4-9) Despite having to dress as a half-naked beggar and witness the sad situations of Lear and later on his elderly father, Edgar manages to stay positive. Through his own suffering, he develops a new never give-up attitude and comes out of his dreadful situation as a very optimistic person with a strong heart. Edgar learns a great deal through his suffering and has made a huge leap from his weaker self from earlier on in the play. The pain and suffering endured from very depression situations are certainly uncomfortable to cope with, but only those who have experienced the very worst can learn to appreciate the good in every situation.
Unlike his legitimate brother, Edmund’s future prospects are less secure. His illegitimacy causes him to feel unloved and disrespected by society his entire life. Even his father, Gloucester, who claims he loves his sons equally cannot help but make fun of Edmund and his mother in public: “Though this knave came something saucily into the world before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair. There was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged” (1.1.20-23). Edmund suffers as a social outcast his entire life. However, his abuse teaches him to be very self-reliant and he proceeds to use his intelligence in an attempt to make a better name for himself:
Thou, Nature, art my goddess. To thy law My services are bound… Lag of a brother? Why bastard? Wherefore base? When my dimensions are as well compact, My mind is generous, and my shape as true, As honest madam’s issue… Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land… Edmund the base Shall top the legitimate. I grow, I prosper. (1.2.1-21) Through his suffering as being viewed as a low-class member of society, Edmund learns to be very practical and is clearly not a fan of social and divine beliefs. He forms a very well-planned plot to overthrow his brother and father. He takes advantage of Edgar and Gloucester’s weak characteristics and executes his plan beautifully with little resistance from anyone.
Being constantly abused as a lowlife teaches Edmund to take every opportunity to strive for better prospects, greater influence and power. He learns to be the ultimate opportunist and through the course of the entire play, he never makes any wasted movements and every action is well thought and comes with reason. Near the end, the lessons Edmund learns from suffering makes him one of the most powerful individuals in the country. Although his intentions are cruel and selfish, through his suffering as an illegitimate child, he definitely becomes one of the most intelligent and ambitious characters in the play.
Suffering can be a source of great wisdom. People who experience pain and sadness are usually capable of viewing life in a different manner. The Earl of Gloucester is an elderly noble member of the kingdom. Despite his experience, he is extremely gullible and short-sighted. He has a very difficult time differentiating fact from fiction. Gloucester is easily fooled by Edmund and banishes his beloved Edgar, setting himself up for his own downfall. At times, Gloucester can also be immature and disrespectful as seen when he makes fun of Edmund’s birth in front of Kent. Also, after locating Lear in the storm, Gloucester says: “What, hath your Grace no better company” (3.4.133)? Gloucester barely recognizes the existence of Poor Tom and states that the beggar is not a respectable person to travel with. The elderly earl can be seen as a foolish person who does not think about the consequences of his actions or care about the pride of others. However, after the brutal lost of his eyes at the hands of the Duke of Cornwall, Gloucester’s entire personality changes. He finally sees the truth behind Edmund’s plot and realizes all of his mistakes. On his second encounter with Poor Tom after losing his sight, he says:
Here, take this purse, thou whom the heavens’ plagues Have humbled to all strokes. That I am wretched Makes thee the happier. Heavens, deal so still! Let the superfluous and lust-dieted man, That slaves your ordinance, that will not see Because he does not feel, feel your power quickly. So distribution should undo excess, And each man have enough. (4.1.75-82) Through his physical suffering, Gloucester becomes more human. He feels sympathy for Poor Tom and offers him clothes and money. He even wishes that the rich would always share their wealth so that everyone can have enough to live happy. After losing his eyes, Gloucester sees the world clearer than he has ever before. His suffering makes him wiser and more reasonable. Overall, he becomes a much better human being.
King Lear is an elderly man with many tragic flaws. His poor decisions to divide the kingdom and to conduct a love test for his daughters lead to the deaths of many people. Lear is mentally blind and is unable to see what is important. During the love test, Lear is not capable of understanding the love Cordelia has for him and instead disowns her out of rage. His overloaded amount of pride causes him to banish the loyal Kent, a man who could have help ease Lear’s transition into retirement if he were to stay in a position of authority. While dividing the kingdom between his two eldest daughters, Lear says:
Only we shall retain The name, and all the additions to a king. The sway, Revenue, execution of the rest, Beloved sons, be yours, which to confirm, This coronet part between you. (1.1.139-143) Lear is very unreasonable as he wishes to be still treated as a king in retirement but without any of the responsibilities. He expects to be obeyed, but when people refuse, he quickly descends into madness and is forced to suffer and brave the elements alone for the first time in his life. Without any of his power left, the former king begins to change as a person. During a mighty storm, Lear makes a sudden realization:
Poor naked wretches, wheresoever you are, That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, How shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, Your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you From seasons such as these? O, I have taken Too little care of this! (3.4.31-36) Now that Lear is no longer king and is reduced to the same level as a homeless creature, he feels sympathy for the first time. He regrets not being able to help and protect his citizens while he was still in power. Through his suffering, he realizes all his past mistakes and tries to redeem himself. During his adventures, Lear begins to put the well-being of others such as Poor Tom and the Fool before himself out of respect and sympathy. He also often curses himself for mistreating Cordelia and even refuses to see her again due to great shame. Lear’s poor situation gives him the chance to develop a new perspective on life. He cares more about others and regrets all his past failures deeply. Lear comes out of his tragic ordeal as a better man and he stays that way up until his final breath.
Pain and sadness never goes without merits. Suffering can be an excellent teacher as it aids in the development of new characteristics and skills. The timid Edgar evolves into a stronger character with the help of positive thoughts and hopes while his brother Edmund is able to choose his battles carefully and use his intelligence to accomplish his sinister goals. The harsh experiences can also be a grand source of new wisdom which open the gates to a new perspective on life. Once selfish and short-sighted men, Lear and Gloucester endures heavy punishment and returns as kind-hearted, sensible individuals. Life is tough and the feeling of despair makes up a large portion of it. However, every dose of pain and every teardrop is an opportunity to learn and become stronger. Suffering is never fun, but it will always be a lifelong teacher that never fails to improve the physical and psychological integrity of any individual.
